This time I documented the repair, hope it helps someone out.
1/ get machine up in the air. Remove leg and plastic leg protector (2 screws) Now is a good time to put the PF up in the air (as I didn’t do in these photos ...)
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2/ pour heaps of PVA (that’s poly vinyl acetate, thanks high school woodwork..) down the crack. Give it time to run down the joint, pour in even more. It’ll run out the side. No stress, wipe it off. Won’t damage anything, PVA is water soluble. Don’t use PVA on outside furniture.
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3/ put a sash clamp across the machine. This pulls the sides back in. Mine was out 1-2mm. Always use cloths to protect the sides of the cabinet.
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4/ these are cabinet makers countersinking screws. About 50mm (2”) long. Note the thread doesn’t go all the way to the end ... this is to pull the joint closer together. I always use square drive screws. Phillips head screws suck. Note the drill bit - see how it is around the same size as the lower screw shank (not the thread) This is a 2mm drill. You want to drill a pilot hole so the timber doesn’t split - but the screw still needs meat to screw into.
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5/ drill the hole and screw in the screw. Note how the screw countersinks into the timber. I touch up the screw head with a paint marker to match the black background.
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6/ screw the leg protector back on. Screw disappears! Magic!
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7/ now we need to pull the top (of the front) back in. Usually I would use a long sash clamp that would run front to back of the pin. But I loaned them out and can’t remeber who has them. Haha! So I have to improvise with this smaller clamp, pulling against the sash clamp. Not ideal .. but you have to do with what you have.
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8/ you can see it’s all pulled in sweetly. I’ll leave it clamped for a day to dry, then run the paint marker down the join to make it look 100%.
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Now, to make the joint really strong, another screw up the top would be ideal. But it will be visible when the lock bar is removed (but totally covered up when the lock bar is on) Or, you can slap an angle bracket on the inside, but a screw would be better. I’ll have a look and make a decision when the clamps come off.
Hope that helps someone.
rd